Synopsis: Kanjin hardly view their servants as human. Even less so when they are different.
Asagi is different. Both a man and a woman.
In the wake of his failure to protect a boy he saw as a son from their abusive master, Asagi is sold into the house of a young nobleman, Mahiro, who is the opposite of everything Asagi has ever known—gentle, kind, and generous.
Mahiro bonds with Asagi and their friendship blooms into a deep and profound love. But when Asagi is poisoned out of jealousy, Mahiro reveals himself to be youkai, a demon who feeds on blood, and he has no choice but to turn Asagi to save his life.
Asagi awakes reborn, strong, and eternally youthful. But the price for Asagi’s new life is high.
The blood of the innocent.
Just as Asagi’s trust in Mahiro falters, the boy he failed to protect, now a man, reappears.
New master, same threat.
With both a literal and proverbial monster at the door, Asagi must decide what it means to be human to protect what he loves most.
Publication date: 29th September 2020
Publisher: City Owl Press
"People are afraid of what they don't understand.
And weaker men want to destroy the things they fear."
I started reading Bloodlaced a bit blindly, I didn't know what I was going to find in it, so I had no expectations, honestly, plus I was in a huge reading slump so I had to force myself to start it, but I'm glad I did, because it has taken me out of that awful reading slump. And I think that would be more than enough for you to go and read it, because there are few books that will help you get over a reading slump. But I want to give you more reasons to want to read it, so I'll go on.
First things first, Asagi, the main character, is the is the spitting image of a non-binary person, though the author herself treats Asagi as a he/him, so I'm going to follow her steps. Now, if you're into vampire books you're going to enjoy Bloodlaced, because that's basically the base of the story. Though I really liked the fact that Asagi becoming a blood-drinking demon is just another complement to the story. You read his story, what he lives, what he feels, but him being a youkai doesn't affect his life more than being a slave did. What I'm trying to say is that by experience and time he learns to live with it, though his past acts will end up coming back to him.
"All fighting ever gets you is broken bones and bloodied noses and scars so deep they bleed into your soul until you learn to stop fighting."
What I really enjoyed about this book is that it's set in the 15th Century Japan, when Tokyo was still called Edo. I've always liked Japan's history and culture and it was really interesting to read a book placed there. Also, Courtney Maguire used a lot of Japanese terms and expressions throughout the book, luckily there's a glossary at the end of the book with all the words and their meanings. It's interesting and helps you feel more immersed in the story.
And finally, I'm not going to lie, this book was a crude, rough and hard read. It talks about rape, slavery, violence and self-harm among other things. But it has rays of hope and love, too. So it shows us that life, as raw and brutal as it may seem, is also filled with joy and good moments, which we have to hold on to so we don't lose our way.
Thanks to Let's Talk! Promotions and Psst... Promotions for sending me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. To enter the giveaway keep scrolling down!
Genre: LGBTQIA, dark, historical, paranormal romance, new adult.
Content warnings: physical abuse, sexual abuse (off-page), self-harm, blood, graphic violence.
About the author: Courtney Maguire is a University of Texas graduate from Corpus Christi, Texas. Drawn to Austin by a voracious appetite for music, she spent most of her young adult life in dark, divey venues nursing a love for the sublimely weird. A self-proclaimed fangirl with a press pass, she combined her love of music and writing as the primary contributor for Japanese music and culture blog, Project: Lixx, interviewing Japanese rock and roll icons and providing live event coverage for appearances across the country. You can find her on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Amazon.
GIVEAWAY
Let's Talk! Promotions and Psst... Promotions authorized me to give away an e-copy of Bloodlaced. If you want to have the chance to win it all you have to do is follow the instructions below!
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This giveaway is open internationally and will end October 12. Good luck to everyone!
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